PHA-Exchange> OPEN LETTER TO PRESIDENT BUSH

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From: <pambazuka-news at pambazuka.org>

Dear President Bush,
As your plane touches down in Dakar, Senegal, we welcome the
opportunity of your visit to examine the US Africa relationship and to
establish ties that are based on honesty, respect and a clear
commitment to removing the structural obstacles that impede Africa's
development. We would like to raise the following issues for your
consideration. They are not new ones, but there is an opportunity, with
your visit, to act decisively and change the image and relationship of
your Administration with Africa.

The proposed visit to five African countries has been scheduled to
clash with the Second Heads of Summit meeting in Maputo, Mozambique. It
is unclear how the Administration could be so out of step with African
continental institutions by not seeking to attend this important
meeting. As arranged, the trip will rather serve as a distraction to
the African Union meeting.

We notice that your planning team has omitted those countries like
Tanzania and Kenya that have directly suffered from terrorist attacks
against US interests and citizens. This is odd given the tremendous
cost that these countries have borne and continue to bear as a result
of their relationship with the US. Furthermore, the highly selective
programme excludes civil society and the business communities who could
have offered constructive and prepositional conversation around US
foreign policy, aid and trade. As constructed, the agenda appears to
offer little else than a series of photo opportunities starting with
Goree Island and ending in a Ugandan AIDS clinic with shots of our
Presidents in between.

This trip may boost the Republican campaign image among the
African-American community before elections. However, it does very
little to boost confidence on the continent that this is a working
visit that will afford time and space for Africans to share their
aspirations and engage the Administration on the need for the US to
change its policies and practices toward Africa. There is still time
though should you choose to act on the substantive issues we raise
below.

Delivery not spin on HIV/AIDS is needed:

Two thirds of the 25 million people who have died are Africans. In
Zimbabwe alone, more than 3000 people are dying each week from the
disease. There is no doubt this is one of the gravest issues
confronting the continent, yet the Global Health Fund is short on
resources. While welcoming the public pledge of US$15 billion to a
unilateral US Global AIDS programmes, we note your Administration's
request for 2004 is a miserly $450 million. Mr. Bush, where is the $15
Billion that you have promised to fight AIDS in Africa and the
Caribbean? Show us the money!

The quality of US health programmes have suffered from the reliance on
patented drugs and the restriction of health programmes that promote
abstinence from sex rather than safe sex. We call on you to heed the
demand of African leaders and women's organisations for a change in
these policies and those promoting health cut backs. The demand for the
right to import and manufacture generic drugs is a moral imperative.
This trip would be an opportunity to express your support for Africans
to access cheap generic drugs and to promote women's rights to control
their own fertility.

Decrease uni-lateral militarisation, facilitate regional peace-keeping:

Several African conflicts are leading to the deaths, displacement and
impoverishment of millions of African women, men and children. African
leaders have tried individually and collectively to respond to these
conflicts despite the debilitating effects of structural adjustment
policies (which the US supports) and debt servicing.

The US needs to provide adequate logistical and financial support for
peacekeeping, peacemaking and peace-building in Sudan, Liberia,
Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Burundi. It can do this through
cooperation and collaboration with existing efforts such as the
ECOWAS-sponsored peace conference in Liberia, the South African-led
peace efforts in Burundi and the United Nations and French-led
operations in the DRC.

At the same time, civil society organizations in Africa would like to
register their unequivocal opposition to the further militarisation of
the continent by the proposed setting up of new military bases in
Africa as well as the expansion of others, i.e. Djibouti. We are not
unmindful of the past US military role in Africa. In fact a number of
Africa's civil wars are products of US military support, including
Liberia, the DRC, and the recently ended Angolan war. The move to
militarize the continent cannot be justified by US economic interests
in our oil or in protecting Africa from terrorism.

We call on the US to roll back the current plans to create “forward
operating bases” on African soil and desist from promoting bi-lateral
agreements that exempt both US and African citizens from prosecution
under the International Criminal Court. With great power comes
responsibility for one's actions. This should also apply to the US.

Why is Iraq's debt different from Africa's?:

It has long been established that Africa's debt burden is a major
obstacle to Africa's development objectives. The servicing of Africa's
debt has made it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the
continent to invest in the productive sector, health and education.

Mr. Bush, will you announce US support for the unconditional
cancellation of Africa's debt while in Africa? If Iraqi's debt can be
cancelled, then surely there is nothing to stop you from doing the same
for Africa.

Dumping is not Fair Trade:

In your pre-visit media briefings, you made reference to free trade and
AGOA as a panacea for Africa's economic woes, yet your Administration
practices protectionist policies, offers tremendous subsidies and is
aggressively promoting patents on all living and non-living resources.
Agriculture is Africa's competitive advantage and the only form of
livelihood for 70% of its population. Africa's poverty is the direct
consequence of the inability to export agricultural commodities at fair
prices and to access US technologies.

We call on you to announce a moratorium on subsidies to US farmers,
desist from championing risky GM products and to take measures that
will enhance market access for Africa's agricultural products.

Democracy is a principle, not a matter of expediency:

African people across the continent are establishing and holding
accountable democratic governments. In these cases, US support like
elsewhere in the world is welcome. The practice of externally induced
“regime change” as we have seen in the recent past is not welcome.
Africans reserve the right to elect and/or recall their leaders through
democratic processes. We view with deep concern, the pressure that is
placed on African Governments to adopt laws that contravene national
constitutions and to act in a manner that strips their citizens or
residents of their fundamental freedoms and access to the rule of law
such as the recent case of four Moslems in Malawi suspected of being
linked to Al Qaeda. This divides Africa along racial and religious
lines.

We would have liked an opportunity to express these thoughts more
directly and hear your responses. However we note with concern that the
space for civil society in the US to comment on and/or critique your
administration policies has shrunk considerably. We are not surprised
that civil society in Africa as well did not feature in your itinerary.

We deeply share the pain and suffering of Americans resulting from
September 11 events and the sense of urgency to bring this insecurity
to an end. However, we think that US-Africa relations cannot not be
driven by the US War Against Terrorism or US interests in Africa as an
emerging market or as supplier of 15% of US oil. We make these
appeals because we believe there are obligations that come with being
the world's only super power. Furthermore, the people of the US and
Africa have a history that is intertwined. Crimes against African
humanity were conducted during slavery and during the cold war. In
that sense the US has an ethical burden to act in ways that exude
justice, human rights and a genuine respect for democracy. We ask not
for charity, we seek justice. We look to your trip to to act decisively
and change the image and relationship of your Administration with
Africa.

Yours truly:
Helen Wangusa Coordinator, African Women Empowerment Network (AWEPON),
Uganda
Patrick Craven, Congress of South African Trade Unions, South Africa
Muthoni Wanyeki, Executive Director African Women Development and
Communication Network (FEMNET), Kenya
Oduor Ong'wen, Director, Econews Africa, Kenya
Ezra Mbogori, Executive Director, Mwelekeo wa NGO (MWENGO), Zimbabwe


c.c.Hon. Colin Powell, Secretary of State, Hon. Andrew Natsios,
Administrator,USAID.

Endorsed by:
Emira Woods, Co-Director, Foreign Policy in Focus/Institute for Policy
Studies, US
Salih Booker, Executive Director, AfricaAction, US
Bill Fletcher, President, Transafrica, US
Leon Spencer, Executive Director, Washington Office on Africa, US
Njoki Njoroge Njehu, Director, 50 Years Is Enough: U.S. Network for
Global Economic Justice, US
Kumi Naidoo, Secretary General, CIVICUS Citizens World Alliance, South
Africa

* Visit http://www.mwengo.org/ to endorse the open letter or have your
name added as a signatory.